*Contains gore and death*

The day began like any other at Sweet Apple Acres. Before the Sun was even up, ponies were hard at work bucking apples, planting and harvesting other crops, shearing sheep, and milking cows, sheep and lambs. Others were building their new houses, and quite the lot of ponies were hard at work building what was to become a new schoolhouse. At a tense meeting, the Apples decided unanimously that all their foals would be schooled right here at Sweet Apple Acres.

For Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, it would most likely mean those three would never set hoof in Ponyville again. While Sweetie and Scoots endured their hardships here, it took Applebloom the longest to weather under the stress of it all. Too many ponies. Angry, sternfaced, ultra-pious ponies, who shunned so much as laughter.

Eventually, everypony began turning on little Applebloom as well, and she found their cruel treatment, from outright beatings to cold looks, damn near impossible to bear. All these moons, Abloom was in a state of denial that somewhat protected the filly from the hostile psychological climate at the farm. However, that mental state unravelled over the last few weeks and she had no choice but to realize how horrible these Apples really were.

First there was the whole dehorning Sweetie Belle thing, then everypony began talking incessantly about cutting off Scootaloo’s wings (the most orthodox Apples feared some cataclysmic reprisal from the Pegasi for having a pegasus filly among them).

Then they began turning on Applebloom. She was chided and scolded non-stop for talking too much, and many found her little accent too annoying. Applebloom used to be a spontaneous loudmouth, but was was always full of joy, and on the surface, hardly seemed affected by the changes happening around her.

But slowly and surely, all the pain seeped in and she began to fear everypony. She talked less and less, and looked down to avoid the cold disapproving stares of her aunts and uncles.
Applejack never shut up about how Abloom talked too much. She even heard ponies talk about cutting her tongue out. Just this morning, some of the Apple Hill ponies pointed a hoof in her direction while talking to Applejack.

Apple Bloom walked slowly towards the orchards, but she was in no mood to work. She felt her throat swelling and tears welling up in her eyes. She was afraid she’d lose it and start crying. And if foals got caught crying at Sweet Apple Acres, they got lashed until their flanks were red with marks. She went into the cow and sheep barn, hid in a stall, tried to bury herself in the straw and whimpered and wept. Ever since Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo disappeared, she felt so alone. She didn’t get to talk to Big Mac much either. Actually, it just occurred to her that Big Mac hadn’t been around lately. Applejack said he was always ‘workin’ with them other big lugs ‘round here.’

Applebloom deceived herself all these months. She always believed or at least told herself things would get better and that the family was just going through a rough patch. She wanted to believe Applejack would change back and become the loving older sister she used to be. She prayed for that in the chapel, but things got worse and worse as Applejack exerted her authority and imposed a regime of total control over ponies here. She cried silently to herself. She desperately wanted to escape, to run away. Find Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and leave Ponyville. Maybe they could go live at Rarity’s new home in Canterlot-

“Ey, Applebloom.”

Applebloom gasped in fright and sprang to her feet. She spun around and saw Big Mac standing over her.

“Ease up, A’bloom. Ah ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

The filly tried to speak but she broke up into tears again. Big Mac just stood patiently and gently nuzzled her on the forehead. The big red stallion knew how much stress the poor filly had been under. Life wasn't so peachy for him either. Other ponies kept a sharp eye on him, including the growing gang of big muscular stallions on the farm. Apple Turner’s threat of having him killed never left his mind. He valued his own life. And his heart ached as he hadn't seen or heard from Cheerilee in weeks. He tried to forget her, and assumed the mare would find another stallion to date.

“What’sa matter, A’bloom?” he asked.

“Ah...Ah can’t take it no more, Big Mac! All these ponies are horrible and mean. They’s always….always mad at me. Some ponies wanna cut mah tongue out!…”

Big Mac remained silent. He felt so bad for his little sister, but he was at a loss for words to comfort her.

“Ah...Ah can’t take it no more, Big Mac. Ah don’t want to live here no more.”
“Ah hear you there, A’bloom. All these ponies’ piety...it ain’t normal. Ah don’t like being here anymore than you do. But, until Ah find a way to get us outta here, we’re gonna have to make the best of it.”

Applebloom kept sobbing but she nodded.

“Where you off to now?” Big Mac asked her.

“...Applejack...told me...Ah...gotta go to the Jager farm today… she said she don’t want me in the house no more…”

“Aw shucks…” Big Mac lamented. He didn't’t like the Jagers either. He likened them to a somewhat alien species of ponies. No normal pony was a blood thirsty meat eating savage. He was vaguely aware of Applebloom’s circumstance: Applejack wanted her out of the house so some elderly mare from the Hill family could occupy her room, but the other ponies didn’t want her bunking with other fillies or even sleeping with them on the haystacks in the barns. It was Big Mac who eavesdropped on Applejack while delivering a cartload of firewood to the Sweet Apple house. He saw her talking to the Jager mare, Ferra, about sending Applebloom to live at their stead insead.

As for Applebloom, Applejack told her she was too noisy and annoying, and undisciplined and all this crap, and a few weeks with the Jagers would straighten her out.

“Hey Mac! Where are ya, boy?” one of the Appleton stallions hollered from outside.
“Keep yer’ chin up, A’bloom. Ah’ll come check on ya when Ah can.”

Applebloom nodded and he wrapped a foreleg around her in an embrace. Then the big red stallion, the only pony little A’bloom trusted, walked outside, joined a group of other big lugs and they trotted off.

Applebloom heard other ponies entering the barn, and she scrambled and galloped outside to a new hiding spot behind some crates and sacks. She peered out and looked to the west, where the Jager stead was, and saw a column of smoke rising from that location, obscured by hills, trees, and hedges-

“There you are, I’ve been looking!” barked the voice of Ferra Apple Jager, “Come on out, we must get home!”

Applebloom sauntered out from behind the crates. “Ah’m sorry, Ma’am-”

“Ah-ah-ah, you will address me as your Auntie Ferra, understand, filly?” the Jager mare barked.

“Y-yes...Auntie Ferra…”

“Good girl. Now come along, we got work to do- Must I drag you with my teeth, because I certainly can!”

Applebloom scrambled and started trotting next to her.

“Good girl.”

The two of them trotted along the dirt trail that led them past the cemetery into the forest, and down the slope to the Jager stead. Sweet Apple Acres sat on its own little plateau, overlooking Ponyville and the countryside. At the western foot of this hill, along the Everfree border was the Jager farm, an old abandoned site that the Jagers easily took over for a small price, and had hastily rebuilt the house, the barn, and the fences to secure their livestock of stolen cows, sheep, goats, and deer.

“Umm, Aunt Ferra?” Applebloom asked as the two trotted slowly down the tree-root-ridden trail.
“Hush, filly!”
Applebloom said no more. She was absolutely terrified of these Jagers. They were a hyperviolent bunch, and the few times she and Sweetie Belle spent on their stead, the two fillies witnessed the Jagers brutally beating their own foals for fighting or attacking the sheep. Then Ferra and her stallion Irongash boasted with smiles of how they were insanely violent and it took the entire colony of ponies to keep them in line.

Ferra Apple Jager was a cream (beige) colored mare, with a very dark scarlet mane, and piercing yellow eyes, the likes no local pony had. She was larger and more muscular than Applejack- and Applebloom shuddered when she remembered she was almost the same size as Big Mac. The filly remembered when Big Mac met Irongash and Ferra. Apparently it was a New Pangaea custom for ponies to take a gentle bite on the face or the neck of their comrades and draw some blood. Basically tasting each other’s blood was a greeting and a ‘gesture of care,’ as Ferra once put it. She explained later that by taste alone, ponies could evaluate others’ health and well being by measuring via taste of the contents in their blood.

Anyways, the Jagers held back on this bite on the neck greeting with pretty much all of the other Apples, but Ferra did just the opposite to Big Mac, making him panic.

”Ow! Git off o’ me. What the hell is that for?”

”Oh please, Macintosh, it’s just our customary greeting...and might I say that you...taste very good….means you’re doing well. A little more uppity than need be but oh well.”

Stories and rumors ran rampant among the Apple foals. They spun that Big Mac story into a fearmongering tale that Ferra and Irongash sucked the blood of ponies, especially foals during the night. One foal, Applestem, said Big Mac had been targeted, and he said the big red lug would end up drained of his blood and roasted and eaten alive by the Jagers.

Applebloom shuddered at the memory. And it sure as hell didn't help when one of the older colts told her and Sweetie Belle that foals who went down to the Jager farm never came back.

Then there was the Jager’s Disease rumor- If they let Big Mac live, and didn't devour him on the spot, he’d grow sharp teeth, lose his mind and become like them. A vampire pony.

The little ones’ brains were filled with campfire stories about how the Jagers were tasked with taking the naughty ones away and making snacks out of them, either eating them outright or selling them to unwary customers.

Applebloom heard a gurgle, and realized it was coming from Ferra’s stomach. The Jager mare hungered, and her heart rate quickened.

“Wait ‘til we get home. Your uncle must be finished that new game stew. It is very delicious.”

“.............”

“Oh come on, don’t be like that. If you’re worried about your cousins, they won’t hurt you, I’ll see to that. And don’t worry about the work. I think you’ll do fine as a little sheep shepherd. You may watch the animals and keep those vermin of mine from slaughtering them without permission.”

Applebloom gulped and made a frantic prayer to Celestia to get her out of this jam. She feared if she tried to confront any of the Jager foals, they’d turn on her and slaughter her instead. she saw how they eat, and how quickly meat disappeared.

“Ah here we are. Home at last,” Ferra said, pushing aside some leafy branches that lead to the opening, where the trail led to the farm. Both ponies saw it, and their jaws dropped.
+ +

After hours of sneaking across the county and around the outskirts of Ponyville unnoticed, Sweetie Belle, guided by telepathic thoughts from the ghost of Aura Belle and the rest of the legion of furious spirits of long dead ponies.

Sweetie, eager to raise some hell, picked her first destination: the Apple Jager stead. The Jagers would be the first to perish.

The filly crept through the thick forest of trees and bushes that isolated the old stead from the rest of the farmland, and came to the newly built perimeter fence. She emerged slowly and observed her surroundings.

Immediately, Sweetie Belle spotted two Jager foals fighting. It was another vicious bloody sparring match, said to be routine for Jager foals in their formative years. Then the two suddenly turned and attacked a fleeing deer, jumping on its back, and taking it down, as if they were wolves.

The deer screeched in agony as the colts took it down, sank their teeth into its neck and hindquarters and began ripping out flesh. Blood quickly began splattering everywhere as they ripped the corpse apart. The deer writhed and grunted in agony as the two gnawed on it.

While they failed to notice Sweetie Belle, she jumped onto the fence like a cat, then down again, into the Jager pasture. Sweetie stalked around the sheep goats, and cows lounging about. The animals took no notice of the filly, or simply didn't care, as they figured she was no threat. A mother deer watched apprehensively about six trots away, as her fawns hid under her. Sweetie didn’t give them a second glance. The filly had her sights set on those Jager foals-

“Ey! What in bloody blue blazes are ya two doing?” A mare shouted from the direction of the house. Both foals looked up, their faces red with the deer’s blood. The young mare charged at them, forcing them to scatter away from the corpse. She furiously chased after one of them and crash tackled him to the ground and began beating on him with her hooves, and shouting at him. Sweetie Belle was too far away to hear what was being said.

But she targeted her magic on the corpse, and to her own conscious wonder, the filly, under the control of ancient rage, cast a spell on the dead deer.

She then watched as the magic took its effect, and the deer corpse began moving. Sweetie imagined what she wanted to turn it into. And by mere thought, which transmitted to the corpse via her magic field, Sweetie began to sculpt it. Muscles tore, bones shattered, tendons snapped, and skin tore and began fusing together again, changing the overall appearance. The head was eventually crushed and imploded. The sounds of snapping bones caught the attention of the three young Jagers.

They watched in confusion then horror as the monstrosity began to take shape. The deer’s legs turned into thin, sharp appendages, much like that of a spider or a crab. The body became roundish, and looked like a lump of shredded flesh. What was once the ribcage of the deer was now cut into sharp teeth that grilled the ‘mouth’ of this flesh-fused monster. Sparks crackled and blood squirted outward. The thing writhed and shook, then stabbed the ground with its sharp bony claws and instantly flipped itself over, so its underbelly, where the mouth was, faced the ground. More seconds passed, and the deer’s two eyeballs emerged on the front.

Without so much as a thought of shock, fear, or revulsion, Sweetie Belle didn't even blink as she observed her new creation. She heard a rumor of Twilight sparkle trying to start up a bio-engineering lab in Everfree, but nothing that unicorn bitch could compare to this. And this...deer crab was about to devour its first meal.

Bones stuck out of its four legged body, broken and shaped like fangs, with two large ones at each of the six edges of its mouth. Blood and fluid leaked out onto the grass below it.

“What the hell is that thing?” the Jager mare shrieked as the deer crap got up, and turned to face her and the foal she was beating. Her brother, or cousin, being young, dumb, and full of rage, shouted, “Kill it!”

He and his brother charged at the deer crab. Apparently it was nothing compared to the beasts these ponies battled tooth and hoof in their native New Pangaea.

The deer crab, under the remote thought control of the little filly (who was hidden from view behind a hay stack), was ready, and in the blink of an eye, it sprang from the ground at lightning speed, closing the ten trot distance between it and the young foal in milliseconds.

The deer crab slammed into the Jager foal at full speed, clamped its razor sharp ‘legs’ around him, and began devouring him. He put up a fight, but was no match. He screamed, but it was no use. When they hit the ground again, the deer crab already chewed through his ribs, and the foal disappeared into its mouth.

The other two, the mare and the colt, just stared in shock, then the deer crap sprang into the air again. It launched itself a full five trots in the air and violently spewed out the splattered unrecognizable gore that was once a living pony. It rained blood and chunks for a few seconds.
The deer crab landed, and Sweetie Belle sent it after the mare. It crawled exceptionally fast, and the she galloped like hell, screaming. The other dumb foal launched himself onto the deer crab’s back and began gnawing at it anyway he could. The deer crap swiftly flipped itself over, taking the foal with it, and smashing him into the hard-packed dirt. The crab then flipped itself over so its mouth was right over him, and consumed him whole. There was no time for resistance with the speed with which it attacked.

The mare screamed and ran for the house, but she didn't get very far. Sweetie had the deer crab heap itself onto its hind legs, and spat out the shredded remains of the Jager foal with such explosive force, each bone fragment became a lethal projectile. The mare was shot and punctured when the bloody blast hit her. She hit the ground, and writhed in agony as she lay dying. Thousands of bone fragments pierced her body, shredding her vital organs. She coughed, gasped, and gagged. Tears streamed from her eyes. The steaming blood that covered her from head to hooves was her brother’s (or cousin’s).

As her view began to slowly fade to blackness, she saw a little white filly approach her, with seemingly curious eyes, and a blank expression on her face. Her pink and purple mane, matted with dirt, like her white coat, still seemed to gleam in the Sunlight.
The deer crab which essentially killed her, stood idle next to the filly. This Jager mare hardly remembered her, give the few times she was here on visits, then when the name hit the tip of her tongue, she lost consciousness for the last time.

The Jager bitch stopped moving and her head hit the blood-soaked ground. Sweetie felt no inklings of guilt, shame or regret. The power her ancestors had over her was too great.

“Hey, ponies! Lunch is ready!” shouted a stallion from inside. Irongash Apple Jager. Big hulking black-silver stallion with a crimson mane, and piercing maroon eyes. Before, Sweetie Belle was absolutely terrified of him, but now, she lusted for blood. And she figured it would take more than this deer crab she made to take him down. She figured Irongash would rip the deer crab to pieces.

Irongash emerged from the house to see the death and gore before him. He roared with instant rage, and let out one hell of a blood curling shriek only a wild beast of Everfree could make. In response, similar shrieks echoed from the Everfree Forest behind the tree obscured limestone wall that blocked it off.

Now furious and primed for battle, Irongash wanted to rip the killer pony to shreds and throw him in the stewing pot.
“Show yourself, you coward! Come out now, and I make it quick and painless!”

Sweetie Belle remained hidden. Just because she was all powerful didn’t mean she was going to show off. Not yet. These Jager ponies weren’t worthy of such grandeur. Only the Apples would witness fully her wrath. Sweetie Belle looked at the deer crab, held together and animating only through her magic. With a thought, she commanded it to attack Irongash.

The deer crap violently sprang into the air like a jumping spider, and closed the distance between itself and Irongash, and slammed into the stallion at breakneck speed, sinking its teeth right into his neck. Irongash fought back with pure rage, and slammed the deercrab into the wall of the house, throwing it off of him. He then attacked with merciless savagery, stomping and gnashing it to pieces. He finished it off in seconds. Long enough for Sweetie Belle to make her next move.

Irongash turned to face her, and saw the look of callous disregard on her face and knew this little unicorn was responsible for this chaos. He let out an ear piercing roar and charged at her, determined to snap her in half in one swift bite.

Sweetie charged up her magic, and began glowing with crackling, sizzling, pale blue magic, and she blinded him with a retina-destroying blast of light- a Sunlight reflection spell.
The filly then dodged as Irongash careened past her and hit the ground, roaring in agony. The retinas in his eyeballs were destroyed, essentially blinding him permanently.

Next, Sweetie Belle cast her magic over him, and lifted him into the air, and she began whipping him with lashes of air, so powerful, and sharply focused winds, the filly began tearing the skin off his flesh. Irongash roared in agony as Sweetie magically skinned him alive. With ease, the filly magically applied intense heat by blasting the air around him, roasting him alive. His blood boiled, and began bursting out of his writhing carcass, then with comet-speed, Sweetie threw the grisly corpse through the window of the Jager house.

Irongash’s steaming corpse slammed into the brick walls of the chimney, and into the massive pot of meat stew he had been cooking all morning.

Sweetie Belle entered the house, looking for more Jagers to fry. She changed her plan, and decided just to kill them quick. No doubt her ancestors and Aurabelle went glee with sadistic delight to see these grisly executions, but to make it slow and painful was to risk being witnessed and exposed.

She found two newborn foals sleeping in one of the bedrooms. Without a thought, Sweetie Belle incinerated them both. Then she began setting fires around the house. She willfully ignited the wood structure with thoughts, and within minutes the whole house was ablaze. When Sweetie Belle was done with that, she set the other buildings and barns on fire, along with each and every animal the Jagers kept on their farm.

By the time Ferra and Applebloom showed up at the end of the forest trail, everything was burning, and Sweetie Belle vanished.

Ferra Apple Jager screamed when she saw the entire stead was ablaze Not a single object within the perimeter fence wasn't burning.
Applebloom looked on in horror. Less than five trots from the edge of the forest, a massive wall of flame. She was terrified of fire, as it was the ultimate symbol of Princess Celestia’s fiery hell. She began shaking uncontrollably and cowered behind Ferra. There was no getting in. The two saw the faint outline of the Jager house, and the flames licking it. The roar of the fire was deafening.

Apple Jager ponies were oblivious of hell, but Applebloom, having been preached her whole life was freaking out and started crying. For all she knew these were the flames of hell itself that burned their way up through the earth like magma and exploded, turning the Jager farm into a raging inferno; and that any second, these flames would lash out, and consume them too.
Suddenly, the fire began advancing. Applebloom screamed and ran like hell back up the trail to Sweet Apple Acres. Ferra turned to follow her, but-

-Sweetie Belle, well hidden, fired a very fine three-trot wooden spear at Ferra, getting her right in the flank hole. The spear pierced through her organs, but not her vitals, and exited out her mouth, instantly skewering her. Using her magic, Sweetie Belle lifted this bloody, gruesome mare-kabob into the air and firmly planted her victim into the ground in the middle of the trail. Hardly able to breathe, Ferra Apple Jager squirmed and writhed in agony. She groaned but her throat was too constricted between the wooden shaft that skewered her and the bones and muscles in her neck. Tears streamed out of her eyes. She had no lethal injuries, but it would take days for her body to withstand this kind of trauma, and she would eventually die. It was a slow and agonizing death.

This kind of torture existed long before primitive horses evolved into the ponykind of Equestria, and before Celestia re-made the planet. Millions of years ago, when humans walked the planet, one human named Vlad Dracula, ruler of Transylvania, skewered his victims on pikes like this to scare off enemy invaders. Not that Sweetie Belle knew any of this. As far as she knew this was the torture earth ponies inflicted on their unicorn victims during Aura Belle’s lifetime.

Applebloom saw everything, and peed herself. She ran screaming up the trail, tripping and stumbling over roots and debris. Sweetie watched her friend flee. That’s right, get the hell out of here. Gallop far away, and never come back.
She would have made herself visible to Applebloom, but after doing this, even to a demented Jager mare who greeted ponies by biting their necks, Applebloom would never speak to her or be the same around her again, hell if she’ll even be the same when Sweetie Belle was done exterminating her family. Sweetie Belle watched as Applebloom scampered up the trail, screaming all the way until she was out of sight. Sweetie Belle then hovered in the air above Ferra and stared her in the eye. Ferra’s leaking blood turned to ice as she watched Sweetie Belle hover over her, illuminated by her own pale blue magic, staring her down impassively. The Jager mare couldn't speak as the pole came out of her mouth. Tears streamed from her eyes. She knew instantly this little unicorn was the one who destroyed her farm, and killed her family. No words were exchanged. Sweetie lowered herself to the ground, turned away and trotted slowly up the hill towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Crafty Crate violently slammed Applestar up against the brick wall. “Where’s the Flare, you lyin’ bitch?!” he snarled.

“I don’t know!” Applestar cried out. She was just as shocked and clueless as the rest of them were.

“Don’t you dare buckin’ lie to me!” Crafty snarled, pressing his hooves up against the mare’s neck. “You better pick your next words wisely,” Crafty warned her, “We’re riskin’ our throats here. I won’t hesitate to smash your head in. I ain’t getting killed by your psychotic Apple family today!”

When the door came down and the townguard squad discovered the Flare chamber empty, they instantly blamed Applestar, who brought them the keys and made possible the opening of the chamber. Quick Fix, and Orion, and Crafty Crate dragged her back upstairs to the basement.

“Crafty, that’s enough, let her down,” Promontory ordered. Everypony- Promontory, Shamrock, Peachy Cream, Pig Pen, Rose, Shortstack, Welly, Clover, Luftwing, Deep Blue, Quick Fix, Orion, and Twilight Sparkle and Rarity stood around in the huge room.

Crafty let go of her and she flopped to the floor sobbing.

“Please, believe me, I don’t know what happened to the Flare!”

“Like hell you don’t!” Crafty snarled back.

“Shhh!” Orion hissed, “Keep it down, will you? Those damn Apples will hear us for sure.”
“But seriously,” Shortstack quipped, “where’s the Flare?”
“You had the keys,” Rose added, “So you gotta know about it! Those keys are heavily guarded!”
“Like Anna and Turner would let her near the keys to the Flare,” Deep Blue muttered, “...if the Flare was still here…”

“All of you, shut the hell up,” Promontory growled. There was a brief, yet tense silence, filled with distrust for the poor Apple unicorn.
“What say you, Twilight?” Crafty Crate beckoned the librarian.

Twilight grunted. Her head throbbed and hurt like hell. “I’ll deal with her.”

Applestar’s eyes widened. “Wait, what-”

Twilight Sparkle flexed herself, and shot a bright violet beam out of her horn, striking Applestar in the horn, digging deep into her brain. She cried out in agony as Twilight’s beam connected the two unicorns for a good two minutes. Then the beam died.
“Owwww…” Applestar whimpered as she curled up on the floor in fetal position. Twilight panted and felt sweat on her face.

“Twilight, what in the name of Celestia was that for?” Rarity asked, astonished.

“She knows nothing about the Flare,” Twilight explained in raspy grunts. “She thought it was locked up down there too. I read her memory.”

The others nodded and understood. That’s why unicorns use memory crystals as opposed to zapping other ponies’ brains directly and frying them. A lot less painful, and required a lot less magic. But the Apples took away the box of memory rocks Twilight had stashed away at the guardhouse.

“Rarity...please do something about her pain…” Twilight asked.

“Of course, dear,” Rarity replied, beaming a gentle spell on the poor Apple unicorn. Applestar sobbed as she slowly got up.
“There, there, that’s enough,” Rarity said softly.

Applestar shed a tear and shot Twilight a hostile glance.

“Sorry I had to do that,” Twilight explained, “But there was no other way to know. But now you’re clear of any suspicion.” Twilight glanced at Promontory who nodded in agreement.

“Alright, let’s just get out of here while we still can, everyone-”

A hoof tapped the metal bars of a nearby cell, scaring half the gang.
“Who’s there?” Pro demanded.

“It is me, I am your friend, and with you I wish to flee.”

Twilight Sparkle gasped. Everypony recognized that accent. The zebra witch of Everfree. Zecora. If it weren't for Twilight, Pro and his crew would have loved to have seen Zecora lynched over a pyre and burned alive. But thanks to Twilight, Zecora was a friend and ally as much as the next pony. Zecora, though regarded with caution, and even suspicion, supplied Ponyville with medicines and recipes that treated many common and even serious illnesses in town. And the Apples captured her too.
“Let’s break her out,” Pro ordered.

“It seems that zebra witch knows we’re onto her. She is said to come to town on this day,” Apple Turner muttered.
“That problem is already solved,” Anna Pomme assured him, “I had Jagers capture her and bring her in. Very few ponies objected to her arrest, despite what I heard of her...popularity. Oh well. She’s a demon of the forest, and I dare say, another...un-Lightly being of Nightmare Moon’s. It seems pony law doesn’t cover the likes of her. I believe she will be easily found guilty of her crimes against equinanity. I already sent a letter to our relatives in Canterlot, and they’re checking the lawbooks. I don’t think there’ll be much objection to burning her at the stake.”

“Heh,” Turner grunted, “I was told you were quite the efficient mare. I’m impressed, Ana.”

“Thank you. Somepony needs to clean up this town, and Applejack certainly cannot do that, so its up to me to enforce the Apple way.”

“Heh. Wait, what about the Flare? I don’t like the idea of that thing sitting in the basement waiting to be set off by those moron ponies-”

“I had the Flare relocated and locked away at Sweet Apple Acres,” Anna Pomme explained to Apple Turner. “Couldn’t trust those idiots downstairs.”

“You mean Pro and his gang?” Apple Turner asked, puzzled. He didn't think of Promontory as an idiot.

“Well, maybe not Pro, but definitely his motley crew of morons,” Anna lamented. “Promontory has an excellent record and does well as a captain within the town guard, however, those ponies he commands...I wouldn't expect them not to cause a problem. They haven’t exactly been thrilled about us moving in and the change of management. And I’m sure launching the Flare from under our flanks has crossed their minds. An unnecessary criminal use of such a device.”

“Where abouts Sweet Apple Acres is it?” Turner asked.

“It’s locked up in an old cellar. Applejack’s family haven’t used the place in years. It will remain there until a new solid shaft and storage cellar is built for it. In the mean time, it is out of reach of any idiot ponies.”

“Good thinking,” Turner said, “by the way, did you talk to Applejack about quitting her Element?”

“I was about to,” Anna said, gazing out the window, “Then we got the call about that Jager colt. She’s off to see the Cloudy family. I’ll talk to her when she returns. I’m sure Applejack will be reasonable and resign her position as the Element of Honesty. Afterall, we don’t want it driving her anymore insane than she already is. Poor thing.”

Author's Notes:

First phase of Sweetie Belle's revenge! MORE DISLIKES! RAWR!

To my faithful readers:
Sorry it took so long to post a new chapter. Had work, school, and a bad depression the last few weeks. I hope you enjoyed this one.